Steam-engine



(No Model.)

W. M. HENDERSON.

' STEAM ENGINE. No. 362,078.

Patented May 3, 1887 WITNESSES.

WWW). Ma %Mmw WILLIAM M. HENDERSON, OF MORTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,078, dated May 3,1887.

Application filed March 9. 1887. Serial No. 230,304- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. HENDER- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Morton, in the county of Delaware and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inSteam-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and'exact description of the invention, which will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an improvement upon steam-engines of theinclosed crank-case variety, and the object is, first, to maintain apractically constant level of the lubricant within the crank-case, and,second, to free the crankcase from heated vapors and attendant evilsthereof-two important points to be considered in the successful runningof engines of this class.

To select an example of a crank-case engine to which to apply myinvention, I will produce a transverse section of the engine patented tome August 24-, 1886, No. 347,874.

A is the crank-case, B the central cylinder, and E the exhaust-branch.In a general way the application would serve for any crank-case engineand any cylinder mounted thereon. On that side of the crank-case wherethe exhaustbranch is situated I arrange a gage tnbe, 0, having the usualtopand bottom connections secured to the crank-case, as shown. Thisgage-tube may be a glass gage, or may simply be a metallic tube. At thetop is a stuffingbox, through which descends the dip-pipe D to adistance within the tube 0, terminating on the line where it is desiredto establish the fluid-level within the crank-case.

G is an ejector-nozzle afiixed to the upper end of the dip-pipe, andmaking a steam-tight joint where it enters the T-fitting F, located inposition to receive it on the line of exhaustpipe proceeding from theengine. The aperture in this ejector-nozzle is shown bent to a rightangle coinciding with the line of exhaustpipe, so as to be in the pathof the direct current of exhaust-steam and subject to its strongestinduction influence.

The operation of this device is as follows, the lubricating-fluid havingbeen introduced into the crank-case to the proper level through anysuitable aperture, as at H, which aperture is subsequently closed andthe engine started.

Now, in regard to the first feature of this invention, should thecontents of the crank-case become augmented byany leakage of steam orcondensed water from the cylinders entering it, the column will rise inthe gage-tube '0, and when it seals the mouth of the dip-pipe D theinduction caused by the flow of the exhaust-steam from the engine,sweeping past the pointed nozzle of the ejector G, will lift such excessfluid and throw it out with the exhaust, practically keeping the levelof the fluid within the crank-case on the set line of the dip-pipe;secondly, any heated vapors arising in the crank-case will pass freelyinto the upper end of the gage-tube O and be'carried oh by the samemeans. A shifting action between air and water will be maintained on theline of the lip of the dip-pipe, and if the shafts journals are providedwit-h stuffing-boxes a partial vacuum may be maintained in thecrankcase, which will assist the steam-pistons of theengineontheirdownstroke,and answerthepurpose of cushioning them on theirupstroke.

The chances for heated vapors to accumulate in the crank-case of any ofmy engines are, however, reduced to a minimum, by reason of the slottedcover-plates attached to the lower ends of the pistons, as shown on thepatent before referred to, and fully described in a former patentgranted to me April 6, 1886, No. 339,292; but the continuous rapidrevolving of the cranks in the fluid-box alone would, in a protractedrun, generate copious heated. vapors, on the principle of the mechanismdevised by Joule to determine the mechanical equivalent of heat, whichit will be advantageous to remove from the crank -case,and which dutythe device herein described will effectually perform, as well asmaintaining a constant fluid-level within the crank-case.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The combination of the inclosed crankcase A with gagetube 0, having topand bottom connections joining the two, and dip-pipe D, withejector-nozzle at top opening into the main exhaust, arrangedsubstantially in the manoer and for the purposes set forth.

\VILLIAM M. HENDERSON.

Witnesses:

FRANK TOOMEY, ROBT. SHOEMAKER, Jr.

